Towel-holding and storing means



Sept. 27, 1949. J. aousso TOWEL-HOLDING AND 3mm MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed'Jan'. 19, 1946 Se t... 2?, 1949. J. nouso 2,483,153

TOWEL-HOLDING AND STORING MEANS Filed Jim. 19, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 27, 1949 if.

um'rizo sriu'es PATENT OFFICE Jacques Rousso, Los Angeles, Calif. Application January 19, 1946, Serial No. 642,365

. "1 T This invention relates to improvements in towel cabinets or towel dispensing means.

According to the principle of my invention, I have provided a. towel cabinet having a trackway adapted to receive coupling locks orring holders for bundle of towels. I

I have provided for the stor'age'of unclean towels, in one portion of the cabinet and storage of clean towels in another portion of the cabinet.

one or more rings, each having a 2 Claims. (01. 312-37) I have provided a means for withdrawing a bundle of clean towels from the clean-towelstorage compartment and a platform, or shelf, used singly.

After all the towels in the bundle have been used, the whole bundle may be dropped on the trackway, to pass to the soiled-towel compartment. I have also provided placing it, for example, on Where the towels may be means for holding the clean-towel bundle at a point where the towels may be used until it is desired to pass them to the soiled-towel compartment.

In addition, I have provided an eflicient means for locking the ring holders.

I have provided such in the form of key-operated means, and, also in the form of keyless operated means. i

Also, I have provided a very simple cabinet, which is both sanita y in appearance and use, and which is easy to clean andin which practically all parts are visible to the user.

The cabinet is simple in respect ofproviding for easy and efficient removal of soiled towels and insertion of clean towels.

Another advantage of my invention is the provision of a cabinet which has a practical minimum of partsand is relatively simple and inexpensive to make.

Other objects and advantages will appear and be brought out morefully in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the device.

Fig. 2 is a view of a bundle of towels, and the ring and coupling locking means therefore.

Fig. 3 is a face view of one form of the coupling locking means.

Fig. 4 is a'detailed'fragment'al 'viewof the device shown in Fig. 3, on the line 44 of Fig.3.

Fig. 5 is a face view of a-key form of coupling locking means.

Fig. 6 is an end view of the same.

Fig. '7 is an elevational view of the front'of the device from the standpoint of the user.

Fig. 8 is an elevational view of the rear of the device, from the same standpoint. J

Fig. 9 is a side elevation, showing bundles of towels in various positions.

Fig. 10 is a top view of the cabinet.

pieces 25,

Fig. 11 is a. fragmentary top view, also showing the coupling locking means.

Fig. 12 is a vertical fragmentary view.

Referring to the drawings, in which I have selected the preferred form for the purpose of illustrating the principle of my invention, I have shown a cabinet l5, having a right frame 16 and a left frame l1.

I have also provided ornamental tie-pieces l8, and cross pieces l9, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

There has also been provided a lower shelf 20, which may be formed in one piece with, or welded to, a front wall 2!, which may also be joined to the frames 6 and I 1.

Also provided is another piece 22 which serves as a tie-piece and shelf support to which is hinged, as at 23, a shelf 24.

The shelf is adapted to rest on a pair of flat which may be welded to the front piece 2|, which pieces are adapted to be supported by braces 26.

Joined at a right angle, is a foot-piece 21 of a towel track 28.

The foot-piece may be removably anchored by a channel member '29, by means of screws and flanges 30, of said channel member 29.

The trackway is arranged to extend upwardly through a slot 3| in the top shelf 24.

The track extends upwardly through a slot 3| in top shelf 24, and curves forwardly and downwardly below the lower shelf in the form shown.

The track has a cross slot 32. I

A bracket 33, welded at one end to the lower shelf, extends through the slot in the track, and this end of the bracket 33 has a hole 34, for a lock 35a, as shown in Fig. 8.

The track is adapted to receive roller coupling locks 35.

These locks may be inrectangular form 36, may have rounded edges 3'! and may have a short a plurality of horizontal cut-out 38 and a relatively long ver- A thumb-piece 45 may be located on one end of each of the stop-pins 43.

It is understood that there will be a lockirfg member for each ring.

The plunger 42 is adapted to be pulled down to let the ring 46 pass beyond the plunger into the locking member. 7 a

The rings may have a V-shaped groove 41, and the surface 48 of the locking members may be bevelled to correspond to the V-shaped groove in the ring 46, to hold the ring in substantially one positive position, extending preferably in the plane with :the linkiof the ring. r

The plunger'may be releasedto lock the ring in the locking member.

Mounted on the under surface of the flat pieces 25, may be a spring-operated rod 49, as shown in Fig. 12.

The rod may be mounted in a housing B,,and a handle 5| may be secured to the rod.

The rod 49 is arranged to'extend across a gap of a locking member and its associated ring and bundle of towels, unless such passage is desired.

When such is the case, the handle may be pulled, and the locking member may slide down the trackway with its ringand bundle oiso'iled towels.

The foregoing locking member has been shown as a keyless type; however, Ihave also shown a key-type locking member in Figs. 5 and 6.

In these figures, the lock 53 is similar to the lock 35, except that I have arranged a pivoted arm 55*and a stop-pin '56, forming a space 51 in closed position.

when "it is desired to lock a' ring, the pivoted arm55 may be pulled out and the ring placed in the space 51, formed between the stop-pin 5B and the pivoted arm 55.

Thereafter, the pivoted arm 55 may be closed, and "snapped locked by a spring-pressed plung- 'In order to "open the lock, there may be used a pointed wrench 9, which may be inserted into the opening 60,'to depress the plunger 28.

Referring again to the front wall 2 I; this wall acts as aseparator between the clean towels and the soiled towels, to insure that no soiled towel shall contact any clean towel, and insuring "against any spillage of any kind onto the clean towels, from a user.

In operation, the clean towels may in bundles upon the lower shelf.

When it is desired to'use the machine, the top shelf will be lifted to a vertical position, one of the'bundles will be lifted up with-its ring andcoupling lock, to clear the top shelf, and then the top shelf maybe moved downwardlyto a horizontal position, and the 'top bundle may be dropped down upon the top shell, as clearly shown in Fig. 9.

In thispositiomthe towels may be used singly, and then when soiled, maybe dropped down be placed wardly upon the particular ring of the particular bundle.

When all thetowels have been used a particular bundle, then the spring-pressed rod 19 may bepulledto allow the coupling lock to move downwardly upon the trackway, through the horizontal leg of the trackway beneath the bottom shelf,'to'hang there, as clearly shown also in Fig.9.

Then the following bundles may be brought up to the top successively, as in the manner :used to bring the top bundle upon the top shelf.

Eventually, all the soiled towels will travel down to the bottom of the cabinet :and will hang, upon their rings, upon the coupling locks supported on the horizontal leg of the trackway.

In this condition, the soiled towels may be removed by an operator with .a key wrench or equivalent means, as described.

In a similar way, he will secure the coupling locks from which the rings have been removed, l

and insert new rings with new bundles of towels, and deposit them upon the lower shelf, with the coupling members upont-he trackway, behind the frontof ithecabinet. I

In this manner, I have provided a cabinet whereby a towel service man may provide a large supply of towels, which may be handled with the utmost eorrven 'ni'n'ce for removal and insertion, and sol-laundry.

In the operation just described, the laundryman I may use the fiorm of coupling locks shown in 52, into an apertured lug 53, to bar the passage Fig. 3,.for a form of locking means, or there may be used 'the key-lockedcoupling lock of Fig. 5.

In practice, it will be found that the key lock will give the-greatersecurity.

While I have ilidstratedand described the ,preferred form 'of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the "spiritpf the invention. I,therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise .details of construction set forthbut-des'iretoavail myself of such variation and modifications as come within the scope of'theappendeddlalims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patentis:

1. Apparatus of the character described, comprising: means for storinga plurality of bundles of towels; ind'ependentineans "for supporting said bundles, one "at a time, for use, said independent means being shiftable to'permittransfe'r'of a bundle from said .plurality of bundles to placement upon said independent means; means for securing "individual towels of each bundle for use individually; an elongated trackway; andiflex'ible link means interposed between each of the securing 'means of each of said bundles, and the said trackway.

2. Apparatus of the character described, comprising: means for storing a plurality of bundles of towels; independent means for supporting .said bundles, one at a time, for use, said independent means being shiftable to permit transfer of a bundle from said plurality of bundles to ,placement upon said independent means; :means for securing individual towels of each bundle .for use individually; an elongated trackway; means movably connecting .the securingmeans of each bundle with trackway; and detachable means for arresting one .of :said bundles at .a predetermined point with reference to said track-way and iadj acent to said independent supporting means wllein the towels of la bundle.aresbeingindividually JACQUES ROUSSO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references :are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS =Great.Britain. .p 1907 

